Car-coupling



(No Model.) 3Sheets-Sheet 1.

C. A. TOWER.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 487,649. Patented Dec. 6, 1892.

INVENTOR (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet2.

(J. A. TOWER. GAR GOUPLING.

No. 487,649. Patented Dec. 6, 1892.

wmusss INVEN-TOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

0. A. TOWER. GAR COUPLING.

Patented'D-ec. 6, 1892.

INVENTOR WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT EEIcE.

OLINTONA. TOWER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 487,649, dated December 6, 1892.

Application filed November 1. 1892. fierial No. 450,639. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CLINTON A. TOWER, of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Car-Couplers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accomp'anying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a plan view showing two coupler-heads A B, constructed in accordance with my invention and situate in the position which they occupy when about to couple together. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one of the coupler-heads, showing the knuckle when unlocked and about to open, part of the shell of the coupler-head being broken away to show the interior construction. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line III III of Fig. 1, showing the knuckle locked. Fig. at is a cross-section on the line IV IV of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the interior of the coupler-head with the knuckle removed. Fig. 6 isasectional perspective view showing the interior of the coupler with the locking and unlocking fingers raised. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 4 of a coupler-head having a knuckle of modified construction. Fig. 8 isa side elevation of the same, partly broken away. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the opening and locking device of this modification.

My invention relates to that class of carcouplers in which the coupling-head is proyided with a coupling-knuckle adapted to engage a similar knuckle in the coupler of an opposite car; and its purpose is to provide improved means by which the knuckles can be locked in engagementwith each other and by which after unlocking they can be thrown p en into position for recoupling without making it necessary for the brakeman to go between the cars for this purpose.

My invention relates principally to certain improvements in the construction and operation of the locking and opening fingers and in the construction of the coupling-knuckle, which is adapted to be locked by a locking finger extending lengthwise of the knucklearm when locked and is provided onits front face with a recess or seat for this purpose; also, to a coupling-knuckle whose holdingarm has on its rear lower edge a beveled bearing-surface extending from its outer end to or nearly to its axis and adapted to be engaged by the opening-arm acting progressively thereon in the manner of a wedge.

In the drawings, 2 represents the draw-head of the coupler, which in general may be of the usual type and outline, having two jaws 3 and 4., the jaw 4. being laterally recessed or forked and containing a knuckle 5, pivoted in the usual manner by a pin 6, passing through the knuckle and through registering holes in the coupler-head. The knuckle has an outer arm I) and an inner and preferably longerarm c, which when the coupler islocked, as shown at B in Fig. 1, rests in the cavity of the jaw 4.

For the purpose of holding the knuckle in locked position (the position shown at B in Fig. 1) I employ a pin having a projection or finger, which is adapted to engage and hold the knuckle-arm c and having a second finger, which when the pin is moved back also engages said arm and throws the knuckle open. My improved coupler, as shownin the drawings, has therefore means for locking the knuckle and for opening it. Both these means are of new construction, and therefore in this application I desire to claim the coupler, not only when it is constructed, as shown in the drawings, with devices for looking it and opening it, but I intend, also, to cover the same even when used without the opening mechanism. The locking and opening devices are made the subject of separate claims herein, each unlimited by the qualifications contained in the other. The pin 7 is vertically movable and is set in the coupling-head, preferably at the rear end of the longer arm of the knuckle when locked, and is provided with laterally-projecting fingers S 9, which may be set in vertical slots in the top and bottom plates of the coupling-head. As will be explained hereinafter, the pin may be provided with but one finger, adapted to perform the functions of the two fingers above mentioned, though the use of two fingers is preferable and is made the subject of specific claim.

The locking of the knuckle is effected by the upper finger 9, which projects from the pin in a direction lengthwise of the knucklearm 0 when the latter is in locked position, and is then adapted to drop by gravity in front of the arm, preferably upon a seat 61, formed in the face and at the upper edge of the knuckle-arm. In this position the knuckle is locked; but if the pin be raised, as above explained, the finger 9 is lifted above the knuckle-arm,frees thelatter, and permits it to move open. \Vhen thus moved open, the arm passes under and upholds the finger 9, the prolongation of the finger toward the axis 6 causing it to be supported until the knuckle is moved back again to locked position and brings the seat d opposite to the finger, which thereupon drops in front of the knuckle-arm and by reason of its long bearing holds the knuckle with security. This description applies also to the arm 9 when the pin 7 has a second knuckle-opening finger.

The pin and locking-fingers are retained in position by the knuckle itself, and special holding appliances-such as cotters, &;c.are unnecessary.

A special point of claim with reference to the locking-finger resides in its construction and situation, so that when disengaged from the knuckle-arm it shall bear upon the latter at a point near its pivotal axis and shall be upheld thereby in readiness to drop into locking engagement when the arm is moved back into proper position forsuch purpose. Within the scope of this part of my invention, as stated in the claims, Various modifications in the construction and relative arrangement of the parts may be made.

Instead of forming the face of theknucklearm with but one seat d, there may be two such seats made in the manner of steps, one

' above the other, the advantage of such construction being that it makes it easier to couple the cars when standing on a curve. In such case the finger first automatically engages the upper seat, and when the cars leave the curve automatically engages the lower seat. Thelower finger S, which may be formed with a beveled front upper edge, is situate below the knuckle-arm c, and alsoextends lengthwise of the knuckle-arm when locked. This knuckle-arm c is provided at the lower edge of its rear side (the side next the jaw 4 of the coupler-head) with a beveled bearingsurface 9, extending nearly to the knuckles axis. The finger is so directed that when it is moved vertically it will engage the said bearing-surface and by acting thereon at the back of the knuckle-arm in the manner of a wedge will throw it outwardly. The pin 7 is set at the outer end of the knuckle-arm, and the relative positions of the knuckle-arm and finger are such that the first engagement of the finger 8 therewith shall be at this point, thus afiording a long leverage to the finger and making it easy to start the knuckle in case it should stick. As the knuckle-arm moves open the place of the bearing of the finger S on its beveled edge correspondingly approaches the axis 6, and by reason of the continued bearing thereon the knuckle is opened to a wide extent, as at A in Fig. 1. The opening action of the finger 8 thus continues throughout the axial motion of the knuckle, and not only starts the knuckle open, but opens it to its full extent, or to such extentas to permit ready coupling. To secure this action, the finger 8 should extend lengthwise of the knuckle-arm when the latter is in locked position, though it need not be exactly parallel therewith. In order to compensate for the diminished leverage,as the bearing of the finger 8 approaches the axis the inclination of the bevel on the knuckle-arm is made to increase toward the axis.

It results from the construction above explained that when the knuckle is looked, as shown at B in Fig. 1, if the fingers 8 9 be moved vertically upward,the first action will be to release the finger 9 from its seat d, thus unlocking the knuckle, and next the fingers will engage the outer end of the arm a, and, acting on the rear side of said arm,will progressively move it open. \Vhen the knuckle has been opened and the finger released, the locking-finger is supported by the knuckle, as above explained. The fingers S and 9 are separated from each other vertically by an intermediate space of sufficient size that the upper fi nger 9 shall leave and free the kn ncklearm and shall move u pwardly therefrom a considerable distance (preferably about threequarters of an inch, though it may be as small as one-quarter of an inch) before the lower finger 8 engages its beveled bearingsurface on the knuckle-arm. Thisalfords an intermission between the operation of unlocking and the beginning of opening of the knuckle, during which intermission the fingers have loose motion or play. This is very desirable, for it enables the operator of the device in raising the fingers to feel the contact of the parts at the beginning of the knuckle-throwing operation, and thus to determine that the locking-finger is quite out of contact with the knuckle and that the latter is free to be opened. The intermediateloose play furnishes means by which on raising the fingers sharply a blow of considerable impetus can be given to the knuckle to dislodge it in case it should not move freely in the coupler-head, and in any case it renders the operation of opening the knuckle easier. The construction just described I intend to claim sufficiently, broadly, to apply to opening and locking fingers situate above and below the knuckle-arm, respectively.

In the modification shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 9, instead of using two fingers one for looking and the other for unlocking the knuckle there is a single finger 8', which operates in a lateral recess formed on the rear side of the arm a. On the upper side of this recess isan incline e and on the lower side isalongitudinal notch or slot f. Then the knuckle is turned into locking position, the finger drops into said recess and holds the arm, and when the pin is lifted the finger, engaging the incline, throws the knuckle open. While the knuckle is open the finger and pin are upheld by the edge of the slot f. This construction is within the scope of my broad claims.

Other modifications in construction of my improved coupler will be suggested to those skilled in the art. Thus the form of the knuckle and the relative position of the parts may be changed, and where the locking-pin is provided with two fingers, as in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, these need not be separated from each other, but may be integrally connected by an intermediate web. The word finger employed herein is used broadly and is not intended to restrict the construction of the device to the specific form shown in the drawings.

The advantages of my invention will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. The coupler is simple and cheap in construction and is very strong and durable. Being automatic in its locking, and being capable of being unlocked without going between the cars, and when locked being held very securely, it is operated without danger to human life, while its simple construction makes it easy to keep in order.

I claim- 1. In a car-coupler, the combination of a knuckle and a locking finger extending lengthwise of the knuckle-arm when locked and vertically movable in a recess in the coupler-head, said finger having a lockingbearing along the length of the knuckle-arm, substantially as described.

2. In a car-coupler, the combination, with a knuckle, of a locking-finger having a bearing on the knuckle-arm near its axis and adapted to be supported thereby when the knuckle is opened and being adapted to move automatically into engagement with the knuckle arm and to lock the same when the latter is closed, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. In a car-coupler, the combination of a swinging knuckle and an opening-finger extending along the knuckle-arm a substantial portion of its length and adapted when moved vertically to engage the arm and to open it, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. In a car-coupler, the combination of a swinging knuckle and a vertically-movable opening-finger having its initial point of contact with the opening-finger at its outer end and whose point of contact therewith approaches the axis as the knuckle-arm moves open, said knuckle-arm having a beveled rear edge to constitutea bearing-surface for the opening-finger, substantially as and for the purposes described. I g i 5. In a car-coupler, the combination of a swinging knuckle and a vertically-movable opening-finger extending lengthwise of the knuckle-arm, said finger being adapted to engage the knuckle progressively from its outer end toward its axis and to throw the knuckle open to a wide extent, substantially as and for the purposes described.

6. In a car-coupler, the combination of a knuckle and a vertically-moving finger or fingers extending longitudinally of the knucklearm, adapted when moved in one direction to engage the front of the arm and to hold the same and when moved in the other direction adapted to engage the arm to open it and to be upheld thereby when opened, substantially as and for the purposes described.

7. In a car-coupler, the combination of a knuckle, and two connected vertically-movable fingers extending lengthwise of the knuckle above and below the same, the upper one of said fingers being adapted to engage the knuckle-arm and to hold the same and the other finger being adapted when raised to engage the arm and to open the knuckle, the first-named finger being then upheld by the knuckle, substantially as and for the purposes described.

8. In a car-coupler, the combination of a swinging knuckle and vertically movable connected fingers set in the coupler head above and below the rear arm of the knuckle, respectively, the upper finger being vertically movable in a recess in the coupler-head and adapted when moved downwardly to engage the arm and hold it and being adapted when raised to release the arm and the lower finger being adapted when raised to engage the arm and open the knuckle, said fingers being separated sufficiently to permit the locking-finger to free itself completely from the knuckle before the engagement of the opening-finger and to afford intermediate loose play, substantially as and for the purposes described.

9. In a car-coupler, the combination of a swinging knuckle, and a movable finger or fingers set in the coupler-head and adapted to lock the knuckle-arm, and when moved adapted, successively, to unlock the knuckle-arm and to engage the same to open it, the places of engagement on the knuckle-arm and said finger or fingers being arranged relatively to each other, so that in said motion the knucklearm shall be released and opened in succession, there being an intermediate loose play of the finger or fingers between the times of the release and the opening engagement, substantially as and for the purposes described.

.10. A swinging knuckle for car-couplers,

stantially from end to end of the arm andl adapted to engage a locking-finger, substan- 1o tially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of October, A. D; 1892.

CLINTON A. TOWER. Witnesses:

D. W. CALL, EMIL W. TAITE. 

